The Cut

I've been contemplating whether or not to write this blog. I've been so busy with the new baby and haven't been sleeping. I've also been thinking that so much time has lapsed between the first time I wanted to write it and now and so maybe I wouldn't write what I innitially wanted to write.  I was also thinking if it was worth sacrificing the sleep that I should be getting in order to write it. Well... here I am and here it is...

This piece has no pictures unfortunately. They would be quite intrusive and they are very private. So just writing this time... It's inspired by several things:

1. A conversation I had with my sister where she said that when she gives birth she wants a c-section. She had witnessed her friend giving birth naturally and she thought it was just scary-hectic and she would rather be cut.

2. People who have chosen to have c-sections not because something went wrong and there was an emergency, but because it fits their schedule better or they think it's easier or, the most bizarre, they want their vagina to be intact so that sex is still satisfying as their vaginas won't have stretched during child birth. Ok... eyes rolling.

3. Because I've experienced giving birth by c-section and it was not pleasant at all. 

A caesarian is a procedure that is meant to be used in an emergency ONLY. It's meant to be used to save life, either of the mother or the baby or both.  These days there are more people giving both via c-section than by natural/vaginal birth.  This is because of the mother's choice or an actual emergency but also because these days doctors prefer births by c-section. Here's why: I read an article in the Sunday Times once that doctors protect themselves against law suits by preferring c-section births. These births are more in their control so it is less likely that anything would go wrong. Compare this to a natural birth where anything goes.  And doctors can be held liable for whatever happens. Not only this, but doctors (and the hospitals) get paid a whole lot more for c-section births than they do for natural birth. So you do the math. It is extremely disheartening. I remember listening to a.m. Live on SAFM as they discussed this topic and I just couldn't help crying as I remembered my experience.

My first birth was meant to be natural. I'd studied about it, watched videos etc. I planned how to get back in shape afterwards etc. But unfortunately things didn't take place as planned.  My water broke the night before I gave birth but I only went to hospital the morning after  (I won't really go into detail as to why etc. That's another story altogether). When I got to the hospital they told me nothing is happening ie my water hasn't broken and yet they couldn't explain the water that gushed out of me the previous night.  They hooked me up onto a machine and then said there's nothing. They kept trying to get me to sign for an epidural but I told them I'm fine I'm not feeling any pain. Next thing they told me I have high contractions but I felt nothing. My gynae came then she got onto her cell phone and suddenly I was being whisked off to surgery. No explanations nothing. Then the nurse came and said if anyone asks why I had to have this surgery I must say the baby was in distress. Now I don't know if this was an English problem or she was leading me or if the baby was ACTUALLY in distress. Why didn't she just tell me the baby is in distress and therefore we have to do abcd?  Why MUST I say he was in distress? Well, I will never know. The problem is you're so worried about your baby you trust whatever the doctor says. You don't know if they are lying or if they are telling the truth. And so there was my first c-section. The pain and discomfort you feel is just something else. And you must take care of a baby on top of that...

The second time around it was a planned procedure. My new gynae (I changed gynaes because I didn't trust the one I had at all. Again another story for another day). When we met, my new gynae made it clear that he does not do vbac (vaginal birth after caesarian) as they need too much motoring and he doesn't have the time for that because he has many patients and it is too risky and he wasn't willing to take the risk. He recommended gynaes that do vbac but the problem was we had waited so long to get an appointment with him and now we would have to wait again for a new person. Hubby had also started a new post at work so getting time off to take me to seek a midwife/new gynae was not available. So we stuck to another surgery.  

Going into this surgery I was not as scared as the first time and the anaesthesist that was there talked to me throughout the procedure (coz whatever he injects you literally feel like you're dying) and so he talked me through what/how I was feeling and what I needed to do to make it go away. I appreciated this because he chose to soothe me instead of give me more drugs.  The procedure went well according to them as I lay there listening to their interesting conversations  (for another day) and looking up and actually seeing my insides this time (not intended but the frames of the building were painted glossy white and the lights used for the procedure are super bright so it reflected). 

When the meds wore off. Then reality kicked in. The pain I was in was worse than before. I had blisters from the plasters. My left arm was dying because I had a drip in it but had to breast feed my baby and to do that I had to bend my arm and so the needle was digging into me.  I couldn't walk. Showering was difficult. Resting was difficult because nurses constantly come in to give you drug after drug and there's the baby too. And this time my incision got infected due to a bladder infection I had on the day of surgery. It stank like I don't know what. I literally felt like the walking dead. This meant more pills and and and and...

The trauma you go through just to give life is like nothing you will experience. The exhaustion. The pain. If you haven't experienced it you don't know and won't understand. So I started asking myself why would someone voluntarily CHOOSE to go through this? Why would you want to experience pain AFTER birth and hospital stay for 3 days and healing for 6 weeks  (if nothing goes wrong after the fact) than to endure some hours of labour pain but go home the same day or the day after and continue with life as if nothing happened?  Why would you choose to scar your body and have a hanging tummy (I literally have two stomachs now)? Why would you do that? 

This is to encourage you to please please please CHOOSE a natural birth. God knew what He was doing. If it's an emergency then ok, save your baby's life. If it's not, do it God's way. Your body is designed for it. I know someone whose baby was 4.6kg at birth and she gave birth naturally. If your gynae won't support you, get another one. Please, the pain and trauma you suffer from c-section is not worth it. Use it ONLY as an emergency procedure, not just because you can. There are a lot of things that take place during natural birth that won't take place during the surgery and healing takes a lot longer. God's way is just better.

There are people, even doctors, who advise expectant mothers to choose the c-section as the better option. Don't listen to that. It's nonsense. Like I said, only use it IF there's an emergency.

I had watched what to expect when you're expecting during my first pregnancy and I truly felt like the character who had everything planned out and eventually had to have a caesar.  I can't explain to you the devastation of how that feels. Don't put yourself through unnecessary trauma. You may think it's quick and easy but the actual experience is just something else. I recently saw pics of women being photographed during labour and I cried because I will never experience that natural process of giving birth. It's over. It's gone. 

I hope you will never have to experience what I have. I hope you will choose what is best for you and baby, not just for that moment but for a lifetime. Because trust me, whatever experience you choose to have will be etched into your mind forever and will affect you for the rest of your life. So choose well and be well.

Ethiopian Grub

The first time I came across Ethiopian food was through a colleague/friend of mine when I worked at Chevron. He invited me and a friend (I took Jane) to his home in Bantry Bay and his older sister would cook us an Ethiopian meal. I was so excited! I must say the food was AMAZING! It didn't disappoint at all. I think we licked our plates and fingers squeeky clean. That was the best I've tasted so far coz it was made with love and it was made especially for us. Our hosts were not vegetarian but they went all out to ensure we got the best vegetarian meal and that we would not forget our first Ethiopian experience. They succeeded!

The next time I had Ethiopian food was at Addis in Cape on the corner or Long and Church Streets. I blogged about it too. I really enjoyed it. You can check out my previous posts for more on this. After having moved to the northern suburbs I had very little access to good food, let alone good vegetarian/vegan food.

One day I was in Bellville and I was walking around the area where SARS is. There are quite a lot of Ethiopian immigrants and I noticed there are a few Ethiopian eateries there too. I entered two but no-one paid any attention to me so I left. On my way to the main road I saw another one and decided to go in. The owner greeted me and was so warm and friendly and I asked if they had any vegetarian meals that they sell. He said yes. I ordered two for me and hubby and that was it. When we got home to dig in,  we loved it.  It was hubby's first time to eat that kind of food so I was happy that he enjoyed it. And it only cost R26 for a takeout (R24 if you sit down). So in that meal you get a red lentil dish, a brown lentil dish, a potato, carrot and cabbage mix, a beetroot dish all on top of a huge injeera (the sour rice bread type thing you eat the sides with). I thought it was quite a lot for R26.  I mean for that much it's like R90 at Addis in Cape. 

I told Jane about the place and we decided we would go together. I always got takeout when I went there (it's not exactly restaurant material, it's just a place to eat at) but we decided we would sit.

We got there and every single person there was a male (except those serving). It was so full and everyone was staring at us. We chose a table in a little corner and tried to just have little attention on us. We sat there for a while before we got served.

Eventually we placed our order and we were so excited coz the portions served to those around us were quite generous. To our dismay, when our food came it was as though it were dished for Mzo. Like seriously?! It was so little we gobbled it in less than 10min. I looked at the lady at the kitchen who makes and dishes the food  (she doesn't like me much) asking why the food is so little. She just gave me a look. So I went to the owner (whom I think is her husband) and complained that when we get takeout here it's so much more than this little bit we got served now. So he turned and said something to the lady and she sneered and responded. He apologised to us but that was about it. So we ordered another portion and told her to make it a good one. We were so hungry. 

Anyway by the time the food came we were just so irritated and we were even annoyed by the stares we were getting. Before we left we went to the owner and asked if we did anything wrong. Like we were the only females eating there and then we got served little food and we got served after all the men got served even though some came after us. So he told us that it's rare or not normal for women to be at a restaurant at that time because they are all home cooking for their husbands for when they come home. He also said that when they do go to eat out it is never alone but with their husbands.  So us being there was something unusual to them but nothing wrong. And I supposed we're women so we should eat less. Lol!

Anyway, as nice as the food is, that wasn't a pleasant experience. We don't go there much anymore. When I buy, the lady always gives me less food or not all the dishes. When my husband goes to buy he gets a lot. Maybe the lady was irritated with me talking to her husband asking questions. Maybe she thought I was into him. I don't know. What I do know is one day I went there with my husband and at this time my preggy belly was very evident and for the first time she smiled at me and said hello! I was shocked! Maybe she realised I'm too busy with my own husband to worry about other people. Lol.

The food was good while the experience lasted but that's it. But if you haven't tried out Ethiopian food you should head out to Addis in Cape and make a meal of it. You won't regret it.

Wacky Weekend

Ok, this post is way overdue (pregnancy has me on lockdown) but here it is...

So some weekends ago it was my very first weekend away from hubby and son (as in both, not just one). Well, just Saturday night until Sunday evening. As much as I missed them I had a great time. So this is what went down.

After sunset hubby took me to my friend Jane's house. He then dropped us off at a local restaurant called Bombay Chilli. As much as I would write about food on a Friday, for this post it's just a by the way... So... the food wasn't all that so I will mention it but that's about it.

We walked in and it was kind of awkward. It took a bit of time before someone came to meet us as we looked around for a waiter/ess to help us to our table, which we had reserved.  Eventually a waitress came and asked how we would like to be helped. After explaining that we had reserved a table she took us to one. As we sat down perusing the menu we felt the awkward glances coming our way. When we checked out who was dining there we realised that we were the only black people there to eat and not to serve. Go figure! Black people, we need to get out more. Anyway, we started staring at the food at the table next to us. Looked good.

Selfie on my phone was just not working with us...

The waitress came to us but kept giving us these strange looks. Eventually I said she looks like she wants to say something so why doesn't she? So she asks us if we are from around here. I tell her no, I live in Kuilsriver and Jane tells her she lives in the area. It didn't seem like the answer she was looking for. So she asked what language I speak and I told her I'm Xhosa and Jane answered. The waitress turned to Jane saying "oh I thought you were from my country." Jane asked which country that is, to which she answered Zimbabwe.  We said oh ok. And she was off.

Long story short, what was meant to be a night of friends catching up turned out to be a night of entertaining our waitress. So when she brought us our drinks she asked if she could sit with us. So we thought she's just making small talk so we said sure. Next thing she said she's going to get her drink and come back. We looked at each other and laughed. Lo and behold, she came back with her drink and sat at our table. We weren't quite sure what to say. What ensued was like a bad talk show, she as the host and we as her guests.

We evetually placed our order (veg samoosas, chana masala, aloo gobi, veg bryani and garlic naan instead of rice). Yes, we went there to EAT, so don't judge. She brought us the food but it included a huge bowl of steamed rice (which we had clearly said we would like replaced with garlic naan). She then literally reprimanded us that we should have been clear. That when other customers order they say they want naan INSTEAD of the rice. Jane and I looked at each other. Then she said garlic naan cannot be ordered in place of rice coz it's more expensive. We can only have normal naan or butter naan. We said oh then you should have said that to us before. She said ok I will take the rice away and you don't have to pay for it this time but next time we should be more careful. She left. Our jaws dropped and we just laughed. 

After all that drama, to our dismay, the food was VERY disappointing... like we could definitely have cooked up way better dishes. The samoosas had some kind of green coloring. The couple next to us explained that it's how they differentiate between the various types of samoosas they have and that it's perfectly safe to eat. We were like um, no thanks... so we took off the parts with the so-called food coloring. 

The curries were not curries. They were more like tomato stews. Isishebo! No curry anything. The bryani was more some kind of fried rice. The garlic naans were great though, I must give them that... but overall, not good. But hey, we were hungry so we ate.

When the food came she sat down with us again. People came in but she would leave them to the other waitress.  She was quite comfortable at our table. She asked if we're married and have kids and then we reached a point of no return. She told us about her marriage, where she lives, her girl child and how she prefers girl children because they will take care of their parents when the parents grow old or get sick and how many years she's worked at the restaurant etc. 

She stayed with us quite a long time. We were worried she was going to get fired that might. One of the owners came to ask her what there is to drink. He was coming from the bar and the fridge was right next to him so we figured it was a polite way he was trying to get her to leave our table. She nicely told him what options he has and told him to check the fridge. She continued sipping on her drink and remained at our table. We kept asking her if she's not going to get into trouble but she didn't seem phased. We didn't have the heart to chase her away so there she was. 

Another funny thing that happened was that this lady came into the restaurant selling roses and teddies etc to raise funds for a charity (as we later found out). She stood at the door, scanned the room and walked right past our table and went to the tanles with all the white people. We gathered our black money wasn't good enough for her or her charity. Well, her loss. The nerve!

 When time came for us to go, Jane started contacting our Uber. At this our waitress said no, you can't go. I'm enjoying your company. You guys must stay until after 10pm.  We just laughed. She invited us back and couldn't wait for the next time we would be there . It was quite an entertaining evening. 

When we got home we were supposed to start with my hair (decided on braids, and yes this is the same Jane that I said works wonders with my hair). Instead of doing that we chatted up a storm with her roomie and friends and well, let's just say no hair was done...

The next day I, together with our friend Tavvy who joined us in the morning, was treated to an amazing breakfast. It was so lovely to not have to think what to make etc and just sit and be treated. I won't speak much on that. The pic speaks for itself.  The hair was done and in the evening hubby came to pick me up.  

I had a lovely time with the girls and enjoyed every moment of being spoiled. I was saying to them I should stay pregnant so that they can be this nice to me all the time. Lol! Fun was had...

Eastern Food Bazaar

When the Rand is low but the hunger is real, we sometimes go to Eastern Food Bazaar. It's not fancy nor is it gourmet, but you certainly get value for your money. I was introduced to this place by my friends Jane and Justine. I wasn't really into it back then but I visited now and then for lunch when I worked in the CBD. When I met my husband he liked the place too so we ended up going there together.

If you're vegetarian then there's quite a wide selection for you but not as much of you're vegan, but it's still quite good. I will share with you the yummies we had the last time we went there.

We tried out two new dishes and had something we always get just incase we were disappointed.  So here they are:

First up was the uttapam masala onion...

I wasn't very impressed with it. It didn't taste bad. It's just not what I wanted. Or maybe I expected it to taste a different way. It's a potato pancake of sorts made with rice flour and topped with onions and a tomato sauce. Hubby and Mzo loved it though. So nothing went to waste.

Next up was the veg manchurian...

Now this was quite pleasant to the palate. It was supposed to be spicy but it wasn't.  That was a bit disappointing. It also had bits of either paneer/ halloumi type cheese so we had to pick that out. It also had these meatball lookalike type things and I'm actually not sure what it's made of. It doesn't taste like your regular soy but it was ok. The sauce and noodles were great. The veggies were nice and crispy. I hate it when they're soggy so I was very happy with that.

Then down to the regulars :

My absolute favourite is the paleshwari naan. I can eat it just as it is. It goes nicely with that cabbage it's served with. So simple yet so delicious. It's like a naan type bread but it's stuffed/filled with coconut shreds and black sesame seeds. It's just an absolute delight. As much as it's yummy on its own it goes well with the veg curry we had.

This is usually a potato and pea curry and it comes with rice and dahl. I really love it. It's one of those dishes that taste the same everytime you eat it. I'm not crazy about the dahl  though, its quite bland, but hey, it comes with the dish so who's gonna say no to free food? Mzo loved it and ate mostly that and rice.

At the end of the day all of us were happy and stuffed and still had some leftovers to spare. And the best part: we got all this food for roughly R130. So when you're hungry but the pockets are kind of empty, try Eastern Food Bazaar.

Birthdays

I used to get super excited about birthdays but things changed very quickly. I still get excited about birthdays, other people's birthdays, not mine. I mean I love food, and birthday parties = great food so of course I love birthdays. But when it comes to mine, I think the novelty wore off long, long ago.

When we were young, our parents used to throw us birthday parties. So many people would come. My sister Sisanda and I share a birthday and so we would always have joint parties growing up. But because she's the younger one,  the spotlight would be on her and I'd be told well, you're older now so... My friends and I would just use it as hangout sessions. 

Those parties would also end up being our parents party instead of ours. In the afternoon after the cake had been cut and presents given and we'd eaten and party packs were distributed, that was it, party over. It was now the adult's party. Most of the time they would send us to one of the bedrooms and we would stay there until we were either called to get some food and drinks or someone would be assigned to bring us food and drinks. We would often sneak out to go see what the adults were doing or pretend we needed the toilet or something, but we would end up in that room again.

In High School my birthday always fell during the exam period and so people thought that the little treats I brought them and put on their desks were for good luck. So there went my birthdays throughout High School. The best was going out for supper at Spur. I always looked forward to that. The free, sparkly dessert always brought a smile to my face . I think my 21st is the last party I remember that was all focused on me and I got gifts and all. And of course the infamous after party back in the day... but after that that's it.

In varsity birthdays were a blur because it was just party party party but nothing really meaningful. It was empty fun. As an adult... well... nothing really.  I can't remember the last time I got a gift from friends or family except my friend Jane and my husband. But mostly we (friends/family) do lunches or dinners and I love those. At least you know if you're out with friends on your birthday you won't have to pay for your share because they got it... so I always indulge. At the same time, I don't like big dinner parties because you don't get to engage with those present. And so what's the point? Keeping it small works for me. You're guaranteed to have good quality time. So basically those have been my birthdays. 

Now that I have a child the pressure was for us to throw a party for him when he was a year old. But as much as I believe that reaching one is a great milestone, I think a birthday party for a one year old is more for the adults and not the kid. I looked back at pictures from my first birthday party and I didn't recognise most the people in those pics.  The kids there were all way older than me and the rest were adults. But I'm sure they all had a great time. So first birthdays... neah... so what we did when our boy was one is we had him dedicated to the Lord and then went out for a late lunch, which he also enjoyed. I remember that day I tried baking using honey instead of fructose and the cake flopped. So there went the birthday cake.

When Mzo turned two we thought now we can do something for him because he can interact with others and he has kids around him that we at this stage can call his friends. But first we wanted to teach him that it is better to give rather than to receive. I know when it was birthday time all I looked forward to, except the food,  was the gifts... that's what it was about. It wasn't a thanks giving for another year of life or a time of reflection... nope, just the gifts. So we don't want him growing up with the same mentality. So we arranged a hospital visit for him to give cupcakes and balloons to other kids at hospital. It was such a blessed time.

That weekend we had a picnic for him and his little buddies and the parents of the kids. Not everyone who was invited came but those that did come made it such a great occasion. Mzo had a fantastic time and so did we. We tried to keep it simple but enjoyable. For such a simple shindig I can't believe how much we spent. Yho! life is expensive! It made me think of those who go all out for birthday parties... Sjoe! Nozie made our cake and cupcakes and we thank her for that. Everyone loved it. 

Either way, birthdays still remain special though I don't go crazy over them.  Lunch or dinner with a few friends and/or family does the trick for me. I don't mind it being just another day. These days it is a day to reflect and to thank God for giving me another year of life. I can only hope that I am and/or will become what He wants me to be.

Sabbath

This blog is super late. I was struggling with network today. But as they say: better late than never, right? Today's blog was supposed to be under #FFF but we're already into the Sabbath day so I figured instead of sharing something about physical food, I'd share some spiritual food instead. So here it goes:


"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy..." Those are the opening words of the fourth commandment. The first word is "Remember". I always wondered why God would say remember. I mean it's there in black and white... but I guess He knew we would forget. For centuries the Sabbath has been forgotten. Some say it is a day for the Jews and not all of humanity.  But before there was anyone called a Jew,  the Sabbath had already been instituted by God. It is a memorial of creation week and it helps us to know who we are and whose we are. With all the drama in the world about identity, this weekly memorial helps us to remember where we come from. The Sabbath is for all mankind and in it we can rest.


Imagine taking this God-given opportunity to just switch off for an entire day and be in a completely different space. To spend a whole 24 hours in the presence of God and in nature. Imagine recharging/rebooting/re-energizing... Just taking a day to reflect and then start over. A clean and fresh start every single week... have you noticed how times have changed? How work is no longer at the office but it follows us home and follows us into the weekend. Have you noticed how school curriculums have changed and how kids have to attend classes or write tests on the Sabbath now? We are all sooooooo busy and yet the day we were given to rest we choose to fill with even more work. We are tired. Exhausted. But we don't see the blessing that has been given to us by God. Why won't we take it?


It reminds me of the children of Israel when they were in Egypt and Pharaoh increased their labour that they even worked on the Sabbath until they forgot  about the Sabbath. That's kind of what's happened to us. We are so busy with everything else that the Sabbath stopped being a part of our lives and now we don't even know what it is, and if we do know, we associate it with others and not with ourselves.


I heard a pastor say that the reason the divorce rates are so high is because we don't keep the Sabbath.  I didn't get his point at all. But when I thought about it I realised that the Sabbath is supposed to be a joyous day. No troubles, no fights, no anger... Just peace. And if a couple had an issue, it should therefore be resolved by the time the Sabbath day comes so that they can enter together into God's rest. And if we take the example of starting over, then the Sabbath can be their point of starting over and leave behind whatever was trying to break them apart. They can be bound together by God in their love. See, at creation the marriage institution and the Sabbath were established, and it is these two things that Satan seeks to destroy. But if we remembered, things would be so different.


So as you go about your business, remember... Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.  God made it for the good and benefit of mankind. May we truly remember and take this special day that God has given us. Happy Sabbath everyone. May you all  be blessed.

Reflections

The past couple of weeks, well... more like three or so weeks, have been rough. Nevermind running out of data at some point, that's another story,  but even if I had it, I wouldn't have had the time to write. Like I said, it was rough. So many thoughts and emotions flooded my brain, it was a bit overwhelming.

One of the things that happened (which got to me the most), was that my son had to go to the doctor. After that visit he was in so much pain and I could do absolutely nothing about it. I mean here is my little man crying until he has no tears left and I'm helpless. All I wanted to do was take his pain and lay it on myself, but we all know that's impossible. So there I was having to comfort a tall 2 year old boy and hold him like he was a 4 month old baby. Well... that's when he would let me even go near him. He didn't want me. He wanted his dad. I'm sure if you're a mother you will know how that feels. Yeah, like a knife in your heart. I think I've come to accept that my boy is definitely a daddy's boy.  Everything was reversed during this time. Like literally everything. I had to wake up at night to go hush him and put him back to sleep, eating and drinking took time and ALL the potty training done just went down the drain. I had to start from scratch. But thank God we have reached a sense of normalcy again!

So after the sleepless nights, when things got back to normal, my body was already used to not sleeping so when I needed to sleep, I couldn't.  So while everyone else is fast asleep  I'm up trying to find something productive to do. So I started knitting again. Well... attempting to. More often than not I had some major fails but as they say; you can't blame a girl for trying, right? One of the products was a scarf turned neck warmer because Mzo decided to take my needle out the wool and so everything unravelled.  I managed to get it back in, picked up the lost stitches but then everything was backwards and I didn't know how to fix it. I'm an amateur in knitting so I was totally clueless in what I had to do so I just cast off and decided to turn it into something else. The second product worked out ok.  My latest fail is actually from last night.  I had cast on too many stitches and, well, I ended up with a rectangularish square of sorts. Not gonna get anywhere with that... but... I will keep trying.

With all of that going on there's still the usual cooking and ironing and cleaning and keeping Mzo occupied (which was more work because he wanted more attention than usual) and and and... So it all took its toll on my body and this past weekend I just crashed. I came down with this massive cold and on Friday I only managed to cook then I headed to bed for the afternoon. Sabbath I didn't go to church because I was super drowsy and slept all day. Sunday was pretty much the same. Monday hubby had to go to work so I had to pick up on a lot so I still haven't recovered. All I wanted to do, all I still want to do is sleep. But alas, my bouncy boy is back in full swing and to him it's business as usual.  But the sweetest thing is that he is so observant. He can tell when I'm not feeling well and he will say "mama, phi?" Meaning mom where? This is him asking where it hurts. And then he says "yiza",  come. Then he takes my big head and lays it on his little chest and rubs my back. And then he says "up", as in get up. And in those few seconds my world becomes brighter.  I'm so blessed to have him around.

Trying to get my ducks in a row...

So, I'm sorry for the silence (to those who read my blog) but it hasn't been smooth sailing. Ideally I would like to write twice a week. One food blog and one anything else blog, so hopefully that will happen.  Here's to the road to recovery. Wishing to write more because so much more happened but I have porridge boiling on the stove and little guy just woke up so I have to go. We will catch up on #FabFoodFriday. Take care. 

Royale Eatery

On one of these public holidays in December,  hubby and I wanted to go to the Naturalway Cafe  (I'll write about that another time) for homemade burgers and vegan milkshakes. But, alas, we had prior engagements which took longer than we had planned and by the time we would get to the cafe, it would already be closing time for the kitchen. So, because we were gonna have burgers anyway we thought we'd go to Royale Eatery to grab some.

Royale Eatery has about 15 vegtarian burger options and quite a number of them are vegan. You'll have quite a hard time deciding on them because they all sound so good on paper.  What I like about Royale burgers is that you definitely get value for your money. They are HUGE. On top of that you get to choose between potato wedges or fries. The wedges are the best for me. You can also opt for a side salad with that. So literally your plate will be full. But before I get into the burgers, let's start with the drinks.

Hubby ordered a mango smoothie with mint. Now I don't usually like mango drinks (unless it's mango and orange juice) but this smoothie was a-mazing! It looked, smelled and tasted absolutely fresh and it was super refreshing on that hot day. Mz'o loved it the most. I only got a few sips in and next thing I know, it's gone. But it was understandable. It really was lovely.

I ordered a vegan choco-mint milkshake. I must say I wasn't really impressed with this one. It wasn't what I expected I guess. First of all, it was banana based. Total no!  It's supposed to be choco-mint therefore it must taste like choco-mint NOT banana. The fruit just overpowered the whole drink. It was so thick that I decided to have it at the end lest it fill me up and I wouldn't be able to eat my food . And I was HUNGRY that day. It could've tasted more chocolatey and it definitely needed more mint.  But as I say, our tastebuds are not the same so it may just be what you were looking for. It doesn't taste bad, it's just not what I expected it to be. Try it out.

Now down to the burgers: I ordered the vegan cheeseburger. What I loved most about it was the cheese. It was yummy. I would've liked it to be a bit tangier, but it worked well because of the extras I had with it (onion and jalapenos ). The patty wasn't all that. It was tasty but in an ok manner. I wasn't wowed by it. And it kinda fell apart so it didn't bind nicely. Eating it was messy business. But then again, what burger isn't messy? Overall, i enjoyed it. The combination is really good. You also get an option of what kind of bun you'd like it on (wholewheat/vegan/I don't remember the other one) so take your pick.

Hubby ordered the Googalooly (I think that's what it's called). Now this was was super yummy. I can't remember what the patty was made of (I think black beans though) and it has guacamole and hubby added mushrooms and caramelized onion. I thoroughly enjoyed his one. We had decided to go half-half so we could each taste the other's burger. Of the two, his one won by far.

So that's two burgers down and a lot more to go through. I've had the tofu burger there before. It was my first. But it was so long ago that I'd have to go back and try it again. Then I will tell you all about it.

To those who, like me, are not into the party scene, it's best to go to Royale during the day as it is situated at the top of Long Street and it's right across a very busy pub so if you go at night you might just regret it. As you may know, Long Street is well known for its night life so you'd want to avoid that. Otherwise, get up there and sink your teeth into one of those juicy burgers! Now that, you certainly won't regret.

The Kink is Back

So the braids came off this week (yes I kept them for long. What's the point of sitting long and paying money only to take them off a month or so later? No thanks. If they're clean and well-kept they can stay in as long as possible), and after two days of the fro being out I resorted to the usual twist hairstyle because I couldn't fro anymore. Oh, before I had braids on I cut my hair... more like a big trim. If you remember from a previous post, I had flat ironed my hair and as lovely as it looked, it actually damaged my afro. It caused my hair to burn so there were strands that were straight while the rest of my hair was fro-like.  So when I twisted my hair it was just flat and ugly. But now, the kink is back!  I'm so happy.

Excuse my swollen face...

I got a little help from these other products I discovered. At first I used the shampoo (I was broke and it was the most affordable yet decent-looking one I could find at the time). The first thing that I loved about it the first time I used it was the scent. It's absolutely lovely and refreshing. Then when I actually used it on my head the next thing I noticed was how easily it lathered. This is great because then it will last long. Usually with the shampoos I've used I struggled with them because I would have to use a lot just to get a little bit of foaming in my fro, but not so with this shampoo. I get foaming on the very first wash and I won't even have had to comb out my hair in order for it to lather.  So for me, it's a keeper.

The next one was the hair spray. I discovered this one when I got the braids done. I didn't know there was a whole range of this brand. I went to the shop looking for the usual Sta Sof'ro that I always use when I have braids or twists. But lo and behold,  there was a hair spray for the shampoo brand I used so I figured well, I have the shampoo so I may as well get the spray. And so I did. I absolutely love it.  It also smells like the shampoo so my hair doesn't smell all different types of scents after use. It kept my scalp free from itching and kept my my braids looking fresh and clean.

The same time I bought the spray I saw their hairfood as well. Now you know how important it is to base your scalp (yes I still do that) and so I bought it. This hair food is very different from the ones I've seen and used before. It looks like a gel but moisurizes like good hair food should. In my opinion I owe the revival of my kinks to this hair food. It just brought that curl back and now when I twist my hair it curls up and bounces like it did before. No more flat, boring hair! I'm so excited.

My hair is much shorter than before but that's ok. I'm just glad to get my kinks back. There are a few straight strands here and there but I will sort those out with time. Oh and more exciting news is that my bald spot is growing nicely. I managed to join that hair with my longer strands so I can actually wear my twists down now,  I don't have to tie it. And when I had the fro out I could tie it quite higher up than before although my "luphondo" was a lot smaller. But that's ok because we are on the road to recovery.

Now I'm not trying to promote these products. They're not 100% natural, they just contain some good ingredients. I'm just sharing with you what has helped me from where I was to where I am. Our hair is NOT the same, so rather use something that works for you. I also found that although these are great for my scalp, it didn't really help with my dry fro when it was out, it works much better when my hair is in a protective style. So a coconut/olive oil treatment comes in handy now and then.

Good luck to you with your natural hair journey. I will keep you posted about mine. I'm just giving my hair a breather. Next up is braids by Jane. I'm thinking kinky twists. It's so expensive (in my opinion) but it looks closest to my natural hair when it's in twists. I can't wait!

NOMAD

Because I'm such a wonderful friend I decided to write next week's #FabFoodFriday (#FFF) post this week, just so that my friends can enjoy what I have enjoyed, all thanks to a discovery made by my friend Cindy Jean-Pierre. Sharing is caring, right? So here it goes:

NOMAD is a cute, warm, homely-ish restaurant based in Stellenbosch on Bottelery Road. Not a far drive if you live in the north but it is (sort of, not really) if you live in the south (of Cape Town that is... let's not be confused). You can use this as an opportunity for a leisurely road cruise. You'll enjoy the fresh countryside air and the beauty that surrounds it. One of the things I liked as we arrived there was the sound of the tyres on the gravel road as we parked. There's just something about that sound. Call me weird, but I love it.

Inside I totally fell for their wooden pizza oven and how they designed it. It really gives the place that warm, cosy feeling. It doesn't sound like a feeling you'd want on a hot summer day, but that's why there's aircon to keep you cool while you still feel all warm and cosy inside. It's not confusing at all! Lol. We opted to sit inside for the aircon but the deck outside is pretty cool too. Cool, not as it temperature but cool as in like it overlooks a dam  (though I think it's man-made) and other nature-ry surrounds. If you have kids it's  also great for you because there's also a mini playground just off the deck.

Ok, ok. I know you just want me to get to the part about the food. It is absolutely delish! There's something there for everyone.  To my non-vegan friends you would love this place too,  but I'm writing this blog primarily for my vegan friends so I will focus on the vegan part of the menu. In short, I will say they have drinks, burgers, pizza and pasta that are suitable for vegans but, alas, this week their menu has changed (to add more vegan options) so I don't know what they have anymore. So... I will just tell you about what we had.

Drinks: To be honest, I wasn't too into the drinks. They have juices and milkshakes so I opted for strawberry juice and hubby went for a vanilla milkshake. The milkshakes are coconut cream-based and because I know how overpowering coconut cream can be I specifically asked the waiter if it tastes coconuty or vanilla-ry. He said the latter. I didn't buy it. But hubby went for it anyway. And it tasted more like coconut than vanilla, so yeah... no thanks. My strawberry juice wasn't a winner either. It tasted like they'd blended a bit of banana in there. Not cool at all. Strawberry juice should just be strawberry juice. I know what strawberry juice tastes like and that tasted like a strawberry-banana blend. Again, no thanks.  Our taste buds are not the same so you can totally try it out. You might like it.

Food: We had pizza! Now these were total winners! Not just because it's pizza but because they were really great. There wasn't a wide variety to choose from (only two really) so we had the classic margarita, then that but topped with mushrooms (and I'm not talking boring white button mushrooms but a mix of yummy wild mushrooms), and then a Mediterranean one. To add to that they have this foccacia bread (I hope I spelled that correctly) that was just scrumptious. Oh, before I forget, they serve this awesome health bread and they make two kinds of vegan butters to spread on it. Remember to request that otherwise you will get normal butter. It was very delicious. I loved it.

Dessert: I think there were two or three vegan desserts. I opted for the cheesecake. I'm not sure how I feel about it. The blueberries that hey used in their couly  (is that how you spell it? No, I don't have time to check on Google or in the dictionary) but that sauce that they pour over the cake, it smelled and tasted like it was either sauteed in or infused with balsamic vinegar. It confused my senses.  I loved the crust bit though.  I'm undecided about the actual cake. I think the price made me even more confused about the cheesecake.  Lol. But you can't knock it until you've tried it, right?

So that was our meal and just overall we had a lovely time there with our friends. I hope you will get to experience NOMAD and that you'll love it just as we did. We will be going back sometime (probably after pay day) to check out the new menu. It is better to call and make a reservation. Their operating  times vary and sometimes they're only open for pizza takeout so it's always best to call first before you make the drive. So Google them and enjoy your time there.

Polkadraai Strawberry Farm

Ok, before I start on what this blog is actually about, let's talk about data... data (or lack thereof) is the reason I couldn't write for so long (well minus the time I topped up but then got very busy and the fact that network coverage my side of town is little to none). Like what happened to the #DataMustFall movement? It was such a hype and then it died. Come on Tbo-Touch! You gave an ultimatum and then dololo! Seriously though... this movement must rise because data really must fall.

Right... now back to the topic at hand. So I FINALLY got to go to Polkadraai! Yey!  I'd heard about it for years and really wanted to go but time was an enemy (and it's just a 10-15min drive from where I stay). So after longing and being envious over prople's Facebook pics I also got to go ☺. Sadly hubby wasn't on leave (as is usually the case for December) so Mzo and I went with our neighbours. It was lovely.

We struggled with parking (as to be expected) but found a nice spot right outside the gate. We walked down and just surveyed the place a bit. Went into the little shop to buy our buckets (and we later discovered that tokens for the horse riding, truck ride,  putput etc were all bought here so poor us, who didn't know at the time, did a whole lot of trips to that shop).

Next was the mini lecture on how to pick the strawberries. The old lady harrassed us about not all of us having buckets and how "every single person who goes down to pick strawberries must-have-a-bucket! " as she yelled looking directly at us. I was so annoyed.  "Lady!  The poster says kids under three are F-REEEEEEEE!" As I pointed to the two two-year old's we were  with.  "Oh, oh ok", she says as she continued with the lecture. An apology would have been nice at this point. But she wasn't going to spoil my day...

There had been a lot of strawberry picking done so we had to go to the top end of the farm so we were going to lose a few kilos indeed. It was quite a walk uphill (considering the fact that we had two toddlers with us). It was all worth it though. We got to our spot and started picking. Yho!  I don't know how the farm workers do it everyday all day! Just to fill our bucket was a killer! My back was dead! My quest to pick only the red juicy ones quickly came to an end and I just wanted to fill the bucket so that we could go back.  My job here was done.

We walked to a nearby tap to rinse off some of the strawberries and have a tasting session. Oh-my-golly-gosh! I have never ever EVER tasted such yummy strawberries in my life before! Unlike the store-bought strawberries, these ones actually had flavour. They were super sweet and juicy. I couldn't believe it. I generally cannot eat strawberries as they are so I use them in smoothies, cakes and whatever else I can mix them into but never as is.  But THESE strawberries... these strawberries were the real deal. I was popping them one after the other. I had to stop myself from eating all of them. They were really delicious.

Back at the little shop we saw that a large tray of strawberries costs (drum rolls please)... R10! What?! You have got to be kidding me! For the same size you can easily pay R50 at a general store. What a rip off! At least we now know where to buy our strawberries, and thankfully for us it's just down the road. The little shop also sells dried fruit and nuts and other interesting little things but at this point it was getting way too hot to handle and we wanted to head home. I did manage to get some bottled grape juices though. They were also quite nice but not as nice as Inah or Ashton Kelder.

So after a short snack attack session we gathered outr things and headed home. (To those who aren't vegan the waffles and ice-cream there looks AMAZING! It was a struggle to remain temperate). Everyone should go to Polkadraai at least once in their lives. It's affordable and you get great value for your money. And it's super if you have kids (it will keep all of you busy for a whole day). Try it. I guarantee you'll love it.